Tuesday, April 29, 2008

This is a pretty new Thai restaurant in downtown Bethesda. I went there for lunch and had chicken Pad Kapow, thin strips of chicken stir-fried with thin strips of red and green peppers, onions, and basil, all in a brown sauce. This dish is somewhat spicy. The peppers and onions were perfectly cooked, still with some crunch to them. The chicken was also good. The sauce was really, really, good. Just enough heat to really let you know it was there, but nowhere close to overwhelming it. It was also very flavorful and really soaked into the rice. The yellow walls of the restaurant don't add to the atmosphere, but the food was excellent and I plan on going back there.

Thimian Thai is located at7525 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD. Directly across the street from the Clark Building. Restaurants in the location prior to this one include Gator Alley and Uncle Jed's Roadhouse.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

This is a small restaurant, where you walk up to the counter to order. There is seating but a most people going there seem to take out. There is a big window into the kitchen where you can watch them make the food. Since they cook everything when you order it, it can take a while when they are busy.

I got the Chicken with Ginger sauce, chunks of chicken stir fried with onions and green and red peppers (and is gluten free). It also came with a side salad and steamed rice. I think the chicken had been grilled before it was stir-fried and that added a nice taste to it. The sauce was smooth and the ginger didn't overwhelm the dish. There was plenty of everything and I briefly considered not finishing it. At first I thought it was a little on the high side, given that it wasn't really a sit-down restaurant, but, the taste, plus the quantity, plus the side salad changed my mind. I think the price was perfectly acceptable given what you get. I liked it and will probably head back another time, the lemon grass chicken looks appealing.

Rice Paddies Grill is located at 4706 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814. It is next to a Starbucks.